News Center

Standing before a crowded room of clinicians, scientists, students and community members at the Science Museum of Virginia, Patricia Ganz, M.D., underlined how symptom management and quality of life sprouted lasting roots in the continuum of cancer treatment four decades ago.

“Symptoms were always part of this conceptualization of what quality of life is," said Ganz, a medical oncologist and the director of cancer prevention and control research at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Once we begin to understand what is going on in terms of biology, we have the opportunity to [identify specific risks and factors] that could lead to pharmacological and behavioral interventions for cancer.”

During the latest installment of the Director’s Distinguished Visiting Scholars Seminar Series (DDVSSS) hosted by VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center in June, Ganz discussed the evolution of symptom management and quality of life care as significant components of cancer treatment and survivorship care. Ganz also highlighted a number of her personal research efforts — including examining genetic variations and fatigue among breast cancer patients — and emphasized how clinical trials that include symptom assessments can pinpoint target symptoms in need of attention.

Ganz commented on how the scientific method of clinical trials shaped her interest in oncology, always searching to improve treatment efficacy and reduce toxicity for better outcomes.

“That, to me, made my practice of medicine much more rational,” Ganz said. “I felt really privileged and empowered because of the evidence base that we built [through clinical trials], and breast cancer was really at the forefront of that.”

Robert A. Winn, M.D., director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at Massey, thanked everyone who attended for supporting science and helping “make ourselves a little bit smarter every day,” and he commended the contributions of Ganz to the current field of cancer survivorship care, where more and more people are living with cancer and less people are dying from cancer.

“It’s important that not only are we surviving, we are thriving,” Winn said, adding that continued work needs to be done to constantly improve the quality of life among all survivors.

In a morning session during the day-long visit to Richmond, Ganz spoke with Massey students and trainees about her career in breast cancer and survivorship care; the history of oncology clinical trials and patient access; and how the scientific understanding of cancer has evolved since the 1970s, underlining how many different options are now available for students interested in a career in oncology.

When Ganz completed medical school in 1973, the National Cancer Act was also signed, which created the National Cancer Institute as we know it today, was signed in the same year.

“The science of understanding cancer was very minimal at the time,” Ganz said, adding that cancer was primarily treated by surgeons at that point. “The explosion of knowledge has been really huge.”

She told the students that she originally thought she might get into pediatrics or cardiology before she ultimately landed in an oncology unit, where she felt like she could truly use medicine to most effectively offer help for patients.

Ganz, whose father was a physician, understands that many students don’t have the privileged background she had that helped guide her to a career in medicine. She also understands the inequities that have historically created barriers for women and individuals of diverse backgrounds to advance into successful careers in medicine and oncology. That is why she finds it of great importance to always help medical professionals along the way to find their footing.

“My own personal mission has always been to mentor people,” Ganz said. “Making sure there are opportunities for people to have a scientific career, especially physicians, is something I’m really passionate about.”

During a special community session at the Science Museum of Virginia, she participated in a fireside chat facilitated by Arnethea Sutton, Ph.D., a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program and faculty lead for community outreach and engagement at Massey. Ganz spoke directly with community members about trends in cancer survivorship and late effects of cancer treatment, breast cancer genetics and prevention, and quality of care for cancer patients.

This was her first time visiting Richmond and Massey, but Ganz said she has previously met several esteemed breast cancer and survivorship experts who work at the cancer center, including Harry Bear, M.D., Ph.D.; Susan Hong, M.D.; and Oxana Palesh, Ph.D., M.P.H.; among others. Additionally, she said she had always admired the work of Susan Mellette, M.D., who served as the director of Division of Cancer Studies at MCV in the 1960s and contributed significantly to the foundation of what became Massey in 1974.

The next installment of the DDVSSS will coincide with the Walter Lawrence, Jr., M.D., Retreat on September 27, featuring keynote speaker and Pulitzer Prize winner Siddartha Mukherjee, M.D.

Find more information here: https://web.cvent.com/event/6bc3a054-8f1c-44b3-8347-cac1e431b7a6/summary

Written by: Blake Belden